July 2009 DTS is here and rolling...

So it has finally come and has been here for over a week now.  The July 2009 DTS has commenced and is in full swing.  In total we have 15 students.  11 are girls and 4 are guys.  We have 11 Americans, 2 Europeans, and 2 Canadians.  It never ceases to amaze me how quickly people become friends on the DTS.  At our house, the 4 guy students immediately found common ground and were laughing together from the start.  

The 1st week of DTS was orientation.  We get the students familiar with the base and our culture here.  We talk about how the weeks will go and what to expect.  Nothing can really prepare anyone for what will happen though.  There are few experiences like a DTS where students can set aside 5 months of their lives and spend time focused fully on God.  People's lives are changed and the DTS is seen as the starting point of the rest of their lives.  

This week, we are studying the Fatherheart of God.  Our focus is to get the students to understand the character of God.  So many of us come in with views that God is an angry old man shaking His fist.  Jesus describes God as a Father who has deep compassion and love for His children.  If we can start to comprehend that, it changes us.  I am always very encouraged by this week.  Our speakers are a married couple from Florida who are missionaries in Thailand.  They have a heart for counseling people and especially couples.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support as we continue on with this week.  Please pray for God to reveal His unconditional love to the students and allow it to change them.